This is how we… welcomed in 2015!

My grand plans of a toddler NYE party didn’t quite materialise but we did have a lovely day on NYE and then time with my parents today.

New Year’s Eve doesn’t feel like the same big deal that it used to.  As I sidle closer and closer to 30, there’s generally nothing I like more in the evening than to curl up with a drink (wine, hot chocolate or camomile tea depending on how the day has been), with my slippers and my latest obsession on Netflix and be snuggled in bed by 10.30 at the very latest.  This rarely happens because I’m often marking until nearly 10, then I have to make lunches etc and collapse into bed later than planned and totally exhausted.  So the appeal of staying up past midnight just to watch some fireworks on the telly and make up the words to Auld Lang Syne (because no-one actually knows the words right?!), and then wonder how short amount of time it is socially acceptable to leave after the chimes of Big Ben/kick people out and then collapse in bed!

This year, I was in bed later than normal – I believe it was just gone 11pm (dirty late night!), having consumed no alcohol, just some peppermint tea and I was asleep pretty much before hubby joined me!

This is how we welcomed in 2015.

Hubby had a few bits and bobs to do outside of the house so Sprog and I played. Firstly, with the train track… although that is still mainly Sprog destroying it.  Secondly, with old clothes as I sorted out the change around from 12-18 months to 18-24 months. 😦 He’s getting so big, not even quite 17 months yet but at least he has diddy legs… they will stay in the smaller size for a while yet. Thirdly, my Christmas present to myself arrived … a Kindle! Whoop whoop! Big attempt at actually reading a book for the first time since he was born happening here, he was obviously most interested in the box.  Lastly, he had a lovely nap from which he awoke and starting giggling to himself.  This was the cheeky face that greeted me when I went in to him!

Then, we went out for a NYE dinner with friends. I know the family selfie is horrifically out of focus but I totally love it! He couldn’t stop giggling as we tried to take a photo.  Then along the bottom, I just love Sprog’s new hat that he got for Christmas, even if it goes wonky pretty quickly each time we pull it back down! A long story and misunderstanding, 12 miles later on the opposite side of town in the ‘other’ Harvester, we sat down for dinner! You can’t quite make it out in the middle shot but one of our friends was in the process of teaching Sprog to fist pound… He got that down and proceeded to spend the rest of the meal trying to fist pound everyone at the table repeatedly. Thirdly, love this… we’ve just noticed how his arms are growing into proportion with his body a bit more and he can now reach to put things on/pull things off his head.

It was then home, Sprog to bed marginally later than normal.  What is it with toddler’s getting more hyper as they get tired?!

Today has been quite low key really. An epic play in the park with my parents in pretty strong winds, followed by a scrummy lunch out (this time, I ate very healthy options and didn’t have desert when everyone else did).  Then, sad times, the Christmas tree came down.  I don’t like how empty the house feels when you’ve taken all the decorations down.  But it’s time to start getting organised for back to school and work on Monday, I marked a set of assessments this afternoon as hubby and Sprog played and watch Toy Story and that’s it. The festivities are over.

We’ve had a lovely couple of days, with all the hub and business of Christmas with a toddler, it was particularly nice to have a chilled out and relaxing New Year.  I think my partying nights are behind me, but I’m really not very sad about that.

I hope you all had a truly brilliant Christmas and New Year with all the people who are important to you.

Seeing in New Year with a Toddler

This year many of my friends will be dashing off to Margate for a big New Year’s bash… so far the plans include home made chicken kebabs, Rapidough, beer pong, lava flows (something lovely and deliciously alcoholic originating from a girls wedding in Hawaii), and possibly some table tennis. Not the smashing roaring times of our late teens and early twenties but still some drinking, partying and a late night.

The ghost of New Years’ past – 2007 – lots and lots …and lots of alcohol!

My plans this year are still hazy and undecided. Last year, Sprog was so tiny that we were still working on the basis that when he slept, we slept. This year, I’m tempted to do just the same but I’m not sure so I thought I’d see what the options are.

1. Let the kids stay up
Some people might suggest that this New Year, you let the kids stay up late with you. Erm…. mine is only 16 months old. There is no way on earth that this is an option. He will go stroppy mental toddler meltdown mode on me. Nuh Uh… he sleeps!

2. Find a Babysitter
Others might suggest that we find a babysitter. Does anyone get a good case of the guilt’s when they ask for babysitters? I think it’s probably because Sprog spends a lot of time with family during the day when I’m at work that I don’t like asking for anything extra and it also makes me feel like a rubbish mum. New Year is the same as asking for a babysitter on Valentines Day, no-one would really choose to give it up for you so don’t ask.

3. A kids movie night

One lovely lady suggested that she would offer to be the family babysitter for all the kids of all the family members and have a movie night for all of the kids. I totally love this idea and if Sprog was not the only small child in the family then this would rock! We could take it in turns each year!

4. Sleep as usual

 One of my favourite options… do nothing different! Sprog needs to sleep, we need to sleep, he’ll still be awake at 7 a.m. and there’s no magic fairy who is going to take care of him if we want to sleep then. I don’t know about you but as I get older (you know, the grand old age of 28 now!) I really can’t be bothered with the hangover that comes from more than 2 glasses of wine, especially with an early rising child so sleep always sounds like a good option.

5. Have an early evening party

 I’m coming round to this idea the more that I think about it. A small early evening gathering of family, friends, just the 3 of us…whoever really, with some music, some party hats, balloons, a ‘special’ drink for everyone to toast with (could be as simply as some orange juice for the little ones) and some party poppers. Just a little something to mark the New Year in with. I loved a few of the ideas I saw about making party crowns together … I mean even a small baby can splodge some paint on the page before it’s cut out into a crown shape. Another idea, which I think is beautiful, is making a wishes tree. Grab a twig/branch from the garden, stick it in a pot and then on bits of paper write down wishes for the New Year. They could be as simple as ‘learning to write my name’ or thoughtful like ‘seeing grandma more often’ or (probably more likely from children, and husbands) silly ones ‘have a penguin as a pet’ then stick a hole in the paper, loop some string through it and tie to the tree. Leave them for a couple of days, come back to them and choose one each to stick on the fridge. I think this is a truly lovely idea but am a little bit sad that Sprog won’t be able to do this yet…maybe next year.

When I tested the waters with hubby earlier, he didn’t seem to be a fan of the last option (sad face) partly because he wants to get on with painting the kitchen in the evenings this week. We have some make over work to do on the house as we are planning to put in on the market soon. I’m thinking that I might rebel a little bit though. I shall have to see what wondrous things one can find in the local supermarket to help me create a bit of a New Year partay vibe all up in this house!

What do you think you’ll do? How old do you think a little person should be before they can stay up and be involved?

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